In retail tire stores, large auto dealerships, motor pools and other facilities that install large numbers of automotive tires, storage and handling of the tires has always been a challenge because of the size, shape and weight of the tires.
Tires are typically stored on floor-to-ceiling racks with narrow access aisles between them. In the smaller and older shops, tires are stocked and retrieved by hand with store personnel climbing ladders to place the tires on the racks and then to “pull” them off when they are sold. Having personnel balancing on ladders high above floor level while handling tires is an invitation to injury accidents and industrial insurance claims. In larger shops, fork lift trucks and pallets are used to handle the tires but placing them on and retrieving them from overhead racks is still a time-consuming and sometimes dangerous operation.
In addition, the fact that access aisles must be provided between the tire racks makes storage density a major problem. The number of tires per 100 square feet of floor space that can be stored on racks with aisles between them is far less than would be the case if the tires could be stored close to each other in all directions with only inches between them. This fact precludes location of tire stores in high cost real estate locations even though the locations might be close to many potential qualified customers (in major metropolitan business districts, for example).
An additional problem with the current system is managing tire inventory, both recorded and physical. Typically, when a shipment (truckload) of tires arrives at a store from a distributor/manufacturer, the tires are physically checked against the bill of lading or invoice, the model or part number, quantity, description, etc. are entered into a computer data base and the tires are then placed in storage racks with labels identifying individual tires either on the tires themselves or on the front of the rack where that size/make of tire is customarily stored. Since the mix of tire sizes, types and manufacturers in inventory changes constantly, the exact location of any particular tire in storage at any particular time is always a question, which leads to wasted time and mistakes when it comes to “pulling” the tire from inventory for installation. In addition, once a selected tire is pulled from inventory, it must be transported to the installation location, which may be far away from the storage location in the same building, in an adjacent or separate building, and/or at a different elevation.
Most CPA firms and banks and other lenders require that a physical tire inventory count be reconciled with the recorded inventory at least once a year. This requires more personnel on ladders checking the racks of tires, which takes more hours and exposure to accidents and mistakes.
The systems and methods disclosed herein provide an improved approach for the storage and retrieval of tires and for managing a tire inventory.